Geographical & Physical Features

Ajmer district is located in the heart of the state of Rajasthan and is surrounded by the Aravali ranges. Nagpathar range of mountains separates the district from the Thar Desert and safeguard it from the sandy storms that flow from the desert.

In the east, the district is plain land, while in the west the area is hilly since it is close to the Aravali ranges. The western part of the district comprises of many valleys of sandy deserts, which are a part of the Thar desert. There are portions of land with fertile soil as well where cultivation is possible. Ajmer city, which is the district headquarters, is located in this hilly area of Ajmer district.

River Banas passes through the south-eastern part of the district and there are four other small rivers as well which intersect the region. They are namely Sagarmati, Saraswati, Dai and Khari. The famous Luni River originates from the Nagpathar mountain range and is utilised to fulfil the water requirements of the district.

Prominent Lakes

Anasagar Lake :

The very famous Ana Sagar Lake is a beautiful lake which is situated in the north of Ajmer city. It is an artificial lake which was constructed by Anaji Tomar, the grandfather of King Prithvi Raj Chouhan. The lake was built between 1135 A.D. and 1150 A.D. and was named after Anaji. In 1637, Shahjahan built the marble structured pavilions around the lake, which are also called ‘Baradari’. Ana Sagar Lake is spread across more than 13 sq km area and is the biggest lake of Ajmer. The lake has a depth of around 4.4 m and has a water storage capacity of 4.7 million cubic metres. It is one of the famous tourist places of the district.

Foysagar Lake :

Named after an English Engineer Mr Foy, Foy Sagar Lake is another artificial lake of Ajmer. It was built by Mr Foy, who was working on a famine relief project in 1892. Foy designed this lake in such a way that it could withstand even the worst conditions of famine. The capacity of Foy Sagar Lake is 15 million cubic feet and is situated very close to the Aravali ranges. There is an inscription at the lake which suggests that the name of Ajmer city then was ‘Ajmere’

Pushkar Lake :

Pushkar Lake is situated in Pushkar town of Ajmer district and is located at a distance of 12 km in the north-west of Ajmer city. It is believed to be sacred and has been described as ‘Tirtha Raj’ in Hindu scriptures. There is a famous Lord Brahma temple on the shores of Pushkar lake. The lake is surrounded by as many as 52 ‘ghats’ where the pilgrims visit and take holy bath especially on Kartik Poornima in the months of October-November.

A Pushkar fair is also organised during this time. There are over 500 temples located around the boundaries of Pushkar Lake